"It is hard for them to work on their careers while fulfilling a traditional role within the family. This is particularly true in rural areas, which are still full of social conflicts and discrimination," professor Lai Xiolin tells Global Times.

It's also true in the government, where despite programs to increase female representation, women get less respect:

An embarrassing scenario is often repeated as a woman and a group of male officials sit in an office discussing village affairs. A villager comes in and directly approaches a male official to voice their concerns. Then the male official turns and reports the problems to the woman. Although she outranks them, she is often ignored.

Meanwhile women are expected to retire between 50 and 55, while men retire at 60. This has contributed to the lack of high ranking women in the government.